TECH
Head-to-Head
ALLEN & HEATH
XONE XD-53
These bad boys have a 53mm driver that really pushes some sound
into your ears. Costing £125, these phones are loud, but even when
they are driven to the limits of endurance, they are still detailed in
the sound. With DJ endorsements from the likes of John Digweed,
Richie Hawtin and Ralph Lawson, they are built to withstand the
rigours of an arduous DJ set. Build quality is what you would expect
from Allen & Heath, a very sturdy construction, with a slight plastic
feel around the cups that in no way makes them feel cheap, and
a nice feel on the adjustable headband which seems to fi t bigger
heads quite comfortably.
SENNHEISER
The swivel joints appear to be of decent build, and once again these
phones employ the closed back design, which provides isolation
from external sounds, meaning that what is heard in the phones is
HD 25-1 IIS
not diluted by crowd or monitor noise.
The frequency range on the Xone XD-53 is very wide, from 5khz –
By no means a new kid on the block, these Sennheiser 33Hz, meaning that more of the sound spectrum can be covered.
phones have consistently popped up as winners in our Tech Awards Cheaper headphones will have a frequency range of 20khz – 20Hz,
for the last few years, and many industry professionals swear by them. A simplistic design, with very thus meaning the amount of audio you hear is not as detailed. Some
deceptive looks, these phones deliver a very high quality sound, especially when considering that the would say that it doesn’t matter — the human ear only picks up
drivers on these are smaller than on some of the newer models on the market. between 20k and 20hz — but the extra frequency range of the XD-
They are not as bass-heavy as some of the others we have tested, but the sound level does compensate 53 covers the territory of
for this. These phones, costing £149, were designed with pro-audio applications in mind, but were then subtle vibrations that
picked up by the DJ community. Their plastic feel and build is very durable, and that is in part to do with other cans might
the design. With all parts being detachable, they can be repaired easily if they get damaged, which they not pick up.
very seldom do. The pads on the earphones offer ample cushioning and the general fi t is very light on allen-heath.
the head.
sennheiser.com co.uk
ORTOFON
PRO DJ 02
Ortofon’s newies take their cue from Ultrasones Pro DJ headphones, in that they share
the same physical body. The general design is the same as the Skull Candy cans, but the
drive technology is different. Once again, the 50mm driver is employed, and the fi rst
thing noticeable about the DJ 02s is that they are loud and have a solid, all-round sound
to them. They are geared up for a whole range of DJ styles, with a clear sound across the
music spectrum — the emphasis, Ortofon says, is on bass and drums — but they are not as
subby as some of the other phones.
They don’t seem to fatigue the ears after a long session — the only gripe is that jocks
with big ears may fi nd the smallish pads a little uncomfortable. The general wear of the
phones on the head feels agreeable and light, and the rotating ball joints in the pads feel
quite sturdy. Build quality is not bad, but they don’t look as slick as the others in the looks
department. But overall, for £99 they deliver a good headphone experience.
henleypro.co.uk
108
www.djmag.com
DJ481.TECH_head 2 head.indd 108 1/12/09 17:47:55
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